Picking up the Pieces
by ScottBoyObsession
Summary: Lucas Scott has lost his uncle, and now he feels like he's lost the girl of his dreams too. Set in season 3/4 First ever fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N : this is my first fanfic ever. I'm really private about my writing so it's a big deal to me to post this (even anonymously online). I would really really appreciate your feedback ! **_

_**Anyways I set this in season 3/4 (My fav. Time for Leyton) and took storylines from each. Hope you like it. P.s. I'm a Leyton fan through and through! :)**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters in any way (though I wouldn't mind dating one or two) ;) cheers. **_

Lucas Scott instinctively looked up just as Peyton Sawyer walked into the gym. Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail and she was wearing ratty sweats for cheerleading practice but, Lucas thought as he stretched for practice, she looked beautiful as usual. He missed her. A lot. Lucas would have sounded crazy if he had said it aloud, seeing as he saw her every day, but he missed being around her and talking to her like before. Lucas hadn't even realized how much he missed her until that day in the library. When she had almost bled to death. He didn't know what was going to happen with them in the future but Lucas knew at that moment, when someone told him that she was still in danger in that school, that he would go to hell and back for her. He was and would always be in love with Peyton Sawyer.

_ She feels the same._ The thought popped into Lucas's head out of the blue, as he thought back to how she had kissed him in the library that day. And it was closely followed by another, more depressing one: _no she doesn't. She was dying and you were there_. Lucas didn't know what the truth was but he knew he wasn't going to bring it up. Peyton meant too much to him to lose, even if he had to stay her friend, he would not mess things up with her again. And it wasn't like they ever even talked about that day. They barely talked at all, for that matter and when they did it was always awkward.

If Keith had been here, he would have given Lucas the best advice out there. Sighing, Lucas got up and jogged over to his brother, Nathan. "Hey man, what's with you?" Nate said as Luke approached.  
"Nothing" Lucas said and motioned for the basketball.  
"Alright, but you're doing that thing again... you know that whole broody thing" Nathan said with a smirk. He knew how his brother didn't like being called that.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Luke said as he passed the ball back with just a little too much vehemence.

"Alright then broody, just get it together for the Bear Creek game tomorrow. We need to show 'em whose boss!"  
Lucas was about to respond when Whitey came out of his office "if you ladies are done chit chatting and trying on miniskirts, I'd like to see some actual practice! Suicides- NOW! "He screamed at his team, in typical Whitey fashion, and Lucas forgot all about it.

-  
After practice, Lucas was beat. Whitey had worked them twice as hard because he thought they were getting lazy. "You need a ride?" Nathan asked him, but Luke refused and Nathan left with Haley.

Haley watched Luke start to walk in the other direction as they drove away. She worried about him. He hadn't taken the school shooting easily but he wasn't letting her in either. For the first time in their eight and a half year friendship, Haley didn't know how to help her best friend.

"What are you thinking?" Nate asked after a while of silence.

"I'm just thinking about Luke. I mean I know he needs time but I worry about him. I don't think he's even grieving, really… I think I should confront him, make him talk to me." She said, turning towards Nathan trying to gauge his reaction. There wasn't really much of one. Nathan looked directly at the road for a while before finally saying "I don't know, Hales. I think he's getting better. That day wasn't easy on him, I know, but I think he's dealing with it in his own way right now. When he's ready to talk, he'll come to you or somebody else." Nathan heard Haley sigh beside him but he didn't turn to face her. The truth was he was scared for his brother as well, but he didn't want Haley to know that. His pregnant wife really didn't need another thing to worry about right now.

Nathan also thought what he was saying was true though, if Luke wanted to talk, he would, so Nate tried to act as normal around him as possible. He thought Luke appreciated that.

Lucas heard Nathan and Haley's car drive away as he started to walk. He had gotten a ride with them this morning because his car was out of gas but Lucas needed to be alone for a little while. He had seen Haley's worried expression as he told them to leave without him. He knew his best friend was concerned for him but he didn't know how to assure her he was okay. Lucas started for the river court on foot, his thoughts juggling between Keith and Peyton when he heard a car pull up behind him. "Hey, boyfriend!" Brooke Davis called from her Volkswagen Bug. "when you said you were tired, i thought you meant you were going home with Nate and Hales, not walking some more!" She said cheerfully.

"I… I needed to be alone" he said. Her face fell. She got the message. "Oh… well okay. Call me tonight?"

"Yea, sure" he said as he resumed walking. Lucas cared for Brooke a lot. He truly loved her. As a friend. The day of the school shooting, sitting there in the library, Lucas had learnt a lot about himself. Things that he wasn't allowing himself to think of before came whirling out. The biggest of them being that he was in love with Peyton Sawyer.

Another thing he had realized though was that he didn't belong with Brooke anymore. Too much had happened and there was no way he could go back to before. But his reasons for letting it go on for so long were pathetic. At first he had been so consumed in his grief over Keith that everything else had just been on the outside of that pain, including Brooke. And when he had finally started to see the world again he saw how hard Brooke was trying to be there for him, and he couldn't do that to her. How could he hurt her when he himself was hurting so bad? He knew better than anyone how much pain losing someone caused and he did not have enough strength to do that_. I'm a coward_, Lucas thought as he collapsed onto the bench at the river court.

"God Keith, I'm a coward" Lucas said aloud, desperately looking for comfort in the place that had never failed to give him some until that day. But, just like every other time in the last 3 months he didn't find it "you were the greatest uncle in the world and I can't even honor your memory by being honest ... I'm sorry Keith... I'm sorry Keith I-" and he couldn't say anything else, because, as he often had in the past months, Lucas Scott was crying...alone. 

_**So what do you think? Chapter 2 will be up soon. :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N hey guys, thanks for the feedback! Anyways I'm on break from school and I've become a bit addicted to writing… So chapter 2 is up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill.**

" I called you last night, I guess you were sleeping..?" Brooke said, coming up behind Lucas as he walked across the quad before school.

"Oh...yea, sorry." he said and Brooke seemed to accept it because she started telling him about some new cheer routine she had planned for the big game that night but Lucas cut her off

"Listen... I gotta go" he said, already walking away from her. Lucas escaped to the solace of the library. 3 months and 4 days. That was how long Keith had been gone for but it felt like years to Lucas. He knew that 3 months and 5 days ago he would have given Brooke a long kiss in the quad before reluctantly saying goodbye, but things had long since changed. They hadn't been affectionate at all in these past months. Lucas didn't see what Brooke even wanted from him or their relationship, but like everything else he didn't push it.

Just as he was cracking open his book, Lucas happened to glance out into the parking lot where Peyton was getting out of some guys beat up blue car. She leaned in to say something to him and he laughed. Peyton had one of her genuine, gorgeous smiles plastered on her face as she walked towards the school. Lucas noticed the guy was staring at her ass the whole time. _Sleaze_. Peyton could do so much better.

But then it wasn't really his call to make. He and Peyton weren't exactly friends anymore. She could date this older blond sleaze if she wanted to. What could he say about it?

Later that day Lucas stopped by the cafe on his way home from school. He needed to grab his sneakers before heading back to the school for the game and he was hoping he'd see his mother behind the counter for the first time in 3 months. But with disappointment, he found Deb putting a pot of coffee on instead. Not that he had any particular problem with Nathan's mom, but Lucas was really worried about Karen. If he had taken Keith's death hard, then Karen had simply fallen apart. She was like a hollow shell; all she seemed to do was stay locked up in her bedroom. Lucas hadn't spoken to her properly since the funeral. It was difficult. His mom and Keith had always been the people he went to when he had a problem. It felt like he'd lost them both in the same day.  
"Hi Lucas!" Deb said brightly "grab a muffin, their fresh made."  
"Hey Deb. Um, no thanks I was just looking for my mom, but I guess she's at home. I'll see you later."

He knew that Deb would close the diner early so she wouldn't miss the game. They were playing Bear Creek and it felt like the whole town was going to show up. Except for his mom of course.

When he finally got to school he was a little late; the rest of the team was already taking warm up baskets so Lucas hurriedly got dressed and joined his brother at the free throw line. He could feel Whitey shooting death glares at him. Whitey hated tardiness but Luke decided he would worry about that later.

"Dude you seriously need to get your car fixed, don't tell me you jogged here again?"

"I will." Lucas said, but he was distracted. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peyton come into the gym from a side door and join the rest of the squad as inconspicuously as she could. She was late too. Lucas couldn't help but wonder if she was with her new boyfriend. He would ask Haley about it later.

When the game finally ended, the Ravens won by 17 points. Whitey gave the boys his usual speech and then called Lucas into his office. Luke was expecting it; he'd probably have to do 150 push ups or something.

"Shut the door and sit down" Whitey said, in his gravelly voice and he did so. Whitey looked at Lucas for a long time before he began to speak "Now Luke, I know the last couple of months haven't been easy on you. They haven't been too great for a lot of people around here. But you need to start making an effort again. If you keep letting your grief control your life, you're going to regret it. Trust me." Whitey said glancing over at the picture of his late wife, Camilla.

"I..I know coach, I'm sorry." Luke said. He was getting uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking but had way too much respect for the man to interrupt or ask him to stop. Why couldn't Whitey just give him his punishment and be done with it?

"Don't be sorry... See that's just it Luke, I don't think you do know. You're late to practices and games... it just seems like you don't care anymore." Whitey looked at Luke as he said this but when Lucas didn't reply, Whitey sighed and went on "Your uncle Keith was a good man Lucas. He was half my age but one of my best friends and his death is a great loss to this town. But he would have wanted you to continue living Luke; he would have wanted you to be happy again. Please...just honor his memory and try to do that."

Lucas couldn't say anything. He knew that if he even looked Whitey in the eye he would lose it, so he nodded as he pretended to study the awards hanging on the wall. After a moment Whitey spoke again. "I think maybe you should take a break from the team, Luke." At this Lucas looked at him in surprise. He was not expecting this. At all.

"I'm sure your teammates will understand. Take some time to find yourself again and we'll be here when you're ready to come back."

Lucas didn't know if this would actually do him any good but he didn't argue like he once would have. Basketball, like almost all else had lost the significance it once held for him. Only one thing (one person) really mattered anymore and he didn't even talk to her.  
When Lucas went back to the change room the team had already left. He had told Nathan and Haley and Brooke to go ahead to the party and that he would catch up later even though they all knew he wouldn't. When he got into the parking lot he was just about to walk in the direction of the river court when he saw a skinny blonde figure standing alone by one the benches. Peyton. Lucas took a deep breath and walked over to her. He didn't know when they had stopped talking, but after the shooting everything became awkward between them. Lucas guessed it was because she didn't want to hurt him further. Because she hadn't meant what she'd said that day.  
"Hey" he said approaching. She jumped slightly.  
"Oh... Hey Luke."  
"Waiting for a ride?" he asked. Conversation between them was more awkward than it had ever been before but Lucas wanted to keep it going. It felt great to finally talk to her again, even like this.  
"Yeah, he was supposed to show up a while ago but his car broke down. He's coming now anyways so it's okay. "  
Her boyfriend. "Oh. Well that's good. I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy." The words hurt him to say but for some reason he felt he _had_ to say them.  
"Huh?" she looked confused.  
"Your boyfriend. the one that dropped you off this morning?"  
Understanding immediately clicked on her face, followed closely by anger. "My boyfriend? You mean my half _brother,_ Derek?"  
Lucas' first reaction was a sick happiness that she was single, followed closely by confusion. "Brother?"  
"Yeah. He's my real dad's son. And if you had been around in the past 3 months you might've known that!" She screamed. Lucas had a feeling that this was some pent up anger that he hadn't noticed before. And what did she mean been around?  
"But you're the one that avoided me!" he said.  
"Not at first. And did you ever think it was because I was guilty?" she exclaimed. it was amazing how quickly her expression went from angry to hurt.  
"What?" he said, but that was all he could say because Derek's blue car had pulled up by the curb while they were arguing and neither had noticed. Derek had gotten out of the car. Up close Lucas realized that they did look alike. Peyton and Derek had almost the same green eyes, although hers were a deeper shade and the same blonde hair color.  
"Is there a problem?" Derek asked looking directly at Peyton.  
Peyton wiped her eyes and said "No. Derek this is Lucas. Lucas, Derek. I'll talk to you later." And with that she got into the car. Derek followed suit but not before giving Luke a weird look.

Lucas was incredibly confused. He had no idea what Peyton was talking about, but he had every intention of finding out.

**So There it is. I'm working on Chapter 3 now… hope you guys like it. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N hey so here's chapter 3... it's really short and doesn't tell you anything new but I promise Chapter 4 will be up tommorow. :)_**

**_also, thanks for all the kind reviews. You really know how to make a girl smile!_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. At all.  
_**

Peyton shivered as she stood there in the Parking lot. It was getting pretty cold. Sighing she checked her watch again; Derek's Car broke down earlier that night so he'd called to tell her he would be a little late.

"Hey" even though Peyton would recognize that voice in her sleep, she started when she heard it. She had assumed she was alone and that everyone had left. There was some party Brooke had told her about but Peyton had told her she wasn't coming, she would much rather hang out with Derek.

"Oh... hey Luke." As she turned to him, she immediately knew something was wrong. Not that everything was great for Lucas at the moment, but something seemed to especially be bothering him. There once was a time when Peyton wouldn't have hesitated in asking him what was on his mind. But things were different now. She didn't know where they stood.

"Waiting for a ride?" Luke's words broke her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, he was supposed to show up a while ago but his car broke down. He's coming now anyways so it's okay. "Her words felt weird to her ears. Things were so awkward between them.

Lucas looked away before setting his eyes on hers again. He was giving her one of his intense stares. "Oh. Well that's good. I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy."

_What is he talking about? _"Huh?"

"Your boyfriend. the one that dropped you off this morning?" Luke said, looking at her questioningly.

_My boyfriend?...Oh. Oh._ Suddenly she was angry. Furious. "My boyfriend? You mean my half _brother,_ Derek?"

Lucas looked confused. "Brother?"

"Yeah. He's my real dad's son. And if you had been around in the past 3 months you might've known that!" She screamed. Shock was etched across Lucas's face. She was kind of surprised herself. She hadn't meant to say that last part.

"But you're the one that avoided me!" Lucas shot back after he has recovered.

Almost instantly, the anger dissipated. She didn't like the pain that replaced it. That was the effect Lucas had on her though. She used to think he made her just a little bipolar.

"Not at first. And did you ever think it was because I was guilty?" she exclaimed. Uh oh. She hadn't meant to tell him that part.  
Lucas's expression changed too, softened "What?"

Peyton was saved from having to answer because just then Derek spoke up, startling them both. "Is there a problem?" Derek asked

Peyton saw the two boys study each other as she wiped away the tear that had escaped and then said tersely "No. Derek this is Lucas. Lucas, Derek. I'll talk to you later." She directed the last part at Lucas and then got in the car.

Derek was quiet on the way to her house. Finally after he parked, he said " Is that a friend of yours."  
Peyton didn't know what to say. Were Lucas and her friends? "I don't know." she answered honestly.

"Look, Derek, I know we were going to hang out tonight but I really just feel like being alone. I'll see you tommorow?"  
"Oh..okay." Peyton thought she saw a shadow of something pass through Derek's expression, but the next second she blinked and his usual smile was in it's place. "Goodnight, Peyton."

When she got upstairs, Peyton went to her closet and pulled out one of her sketchbooks. She flipped to the page she was looking for. It was the picture she'd drawn on her first night home from the hospital, when she couldn't sleep. It was of her and Lucas, sitting on the library floor. The day that everything had changed.

**_Please Review! :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N here it is, my chapters get kind of jumbled from here b/c i have a few logical places to stop but then they become too short, so I'm sorry for that_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill.  
_**

By the time he had reached the river court, Lucas's mind was all jumbled up. What Peyton had said to him was really getting to him. Why would she feel guilty? It wasn't her fault. _Oh God, did she think that everything that had happened was her fault?_ That was _so _Peyton, why hadn't he realized it before? He had to talk to her.

But Lucas was also thinking about what Whitey had said. _Try to be happy again, it's what Keith would have wanted._ _Honor his memory and live your life; don't let your grief control it._ Lucas sighed. He knew Whitey was right. Keith wouldn't have been happy to see him living (or not living) like this, but he just didn't know what to do. What he wanted, like so many other times in the past months was to talk to Keith.

The river court had been great to him over the years, it was where he came whenever he had to think but right now some other place seemed to be calling to him, so Lucas hitched his bag on his shoulder and got up...

He hadn't been to the garage in 3 months. Lucas had avoided this place; as far as he knew even Dan hadn't opened it up. Luke found the hidden key in the oil pot to the side of the building easily and let himself in.

The sign that used to say Keith Scott Auto now said Dan Scott Servicing, but if he ignored that it was still the same. The small basketball hoop still hung from the far wall, the oil spills that was shaped oddly like a guitar was still on the floor beneath his feet and the smell... he couldn't describe it; it was just something he would always associate with this garage. Lucas half expected Keith to walk out of his small office in the back corner of the garage with a dirty rag on his shoulder, asking Lucas to pass him some pliers.  
Every single significant conversation that Lucas remembered having with Keith had been in this garage, usually when one of them was under a car looking at the engine or opposite each other working under the hood.

This was where Lucas had changed his first tire, and learnt which windshield fluid was best; where he'd learnt to jump start an engine. This was where Keith had finally convinced Lucas to join the Ravens, where he told him to go for it with Peyton, where he'd realized he wanted to become a writer. Lucas went back to the corner of the shop where Keith kept an old recliner where he used to take his coffee breaks.

After taking a seat, he took a look around and Lucas realized that coming here wasn't as difficult as he thought it would have been. This was the closest he'd felt to Keith since his death.

Whitey's words came to his mind again. _Try to be happy_. He didn't know if that was possible, but he knew Keith would have wanted him to be more honest to himself too. That was something he could try to do. After a moment Lucas pulled out his cell phone and dialed a familiar number. When a cheerful voiced answered "Hey!" He almost lost his nerve but he swallowed and said `Brooke. We need to talk...`

It was darker then he'd expected it would be when Luke finally let himself out of the garage. He hadn't realized how much time he had spent just sitting there. Breaking up with Brooke had been hard, she was more upset then he had expected but he knew it had been the right thing to do. He couldn't have strung her along for much longer. But he knew she would get over it, and would one day find the right guy. She was a great girl, Brooke Davis.

Lucas turned around to look at the garage that had coloured so many of his childhood memories. For the first time in a while, he felt…okay. Not great but not terrible either. He shivered as he began to walk home, he looked at his watch. 1:03 it read. His mother would be asleep right now so Lucas decided he would let himself in through his bedroom door quietly and not disturb her. Suddenly, Lucas _missed _his mom. Not who shed been for the past 3 months, but the real one. The mom who could guess what he was thinking with one look, the one who sometimes knew him better than he did himself, his insightful, independent…happy mom.

As Luke neared his house, he realized that all the lights were on. Great, he'd kept his mother up. He closed the front door behind him and found his mom sitting on the couch, a coffee mug in hand. She was wearing one of Keith's old shirts and staring at the T.V. even though it was turned off.

"Mom. You're still up?"

Karen looked up with a start. "I was waiting for you." she said. "Your home late."

"Yea, we umm had a game tonight. We won."

"That's good." Karen said absently.

Lucas looked at his mom for a moment before taking a deep breath and saying "I went to Keith's shop today."

Karen looked up with a jolt. For the first time in what felt like ages, she looked Lucas in the eyes. There was a long silence before she spoke. "Oh… how was it?"

"It was… the same. Even the smell was the exactly like I remembered. It was like he was still—" Suddenly, the depression that hadn't hit him earlier consumed him in one, overwhelming blast. He hadn't talked to his mother properly in 3 months, and as his eyes started to fill up, Lucas saw his mother stand up and open her arms. He gladly went to her and let her fold him into them. He was a head taller than her but somehow it felt so right. Like this is what he had needed for all these months.

"I… I need you mom. I miss him so much I don't- I don't know what to do" Lucas said through the tears that he knew he couldn't stop now, no matter how hard he tried.

"I know Lucas. I'm sorry. I know. I miss him too" Lucas realized that Karen was crying too. She led him to the couch and they sat down. "I know I haven't been a great mom these past months, Lucas." She shushed him as he tried to protest. "I'm so sorry about that. This time has been hard on both of us. I love you."

"You mean you're not mad at me?" he asked, voicing one of his deepest fears.

"Oh my gosh, Lucas no. Why would you think that?"

"Because it was my fault." He said, his voice cracking, as he finally admitted the one thing that had been eating away at him for this whole time.

**_Please Review :)_**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: hey so i'm finally updating, sorry for the long absence.**

**no new information in this chapter, but i just had to write it. Enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH or any characters...  
**

"Luke, I can't find Peyton! She was right behind me and now she's gone! I don't know where she is and a gunshot went off and -and "Brooke broke off sobbing uncontrollably. He wanted to soothe her but his mind was on other things. Peyton.

She was in the school and a gunshot had gone off. Peyton could have been... he couldn't even finish the thought, it was too awful. In that moment, Lucas didn't know anything else. He had to find her. This was Peyton Sawyer. He wasn't ready to lose her yet.

Lucas tuned into his surroundings again. It was chaos to say the least. Students were fleeing in every direction away from the school, he could hear Whitey shouting at people to get on the bus and he vaguely registered Whitey dragging Brooke onto the bus also. But Lucas was too busy to take note of his girlfriend, because at that moment he noticed Nathan running _towards _the school. _What is he doing?_ Luke thought in a panic and hurriedly caught up with him.  
"Nate, stop!" Luke said grabbing his arm  
"Let go man, Haley's in there!" his brother said  
"But that's crazy, you can't go in there!" he exclaimed  
'Luke, its Haley." he said, there was a crazed look in his eyes and with that he broke free and ran into the school. Lucas really couldn't say anything. Hadn't he just been thinking of doing the same thing a moment ago for Peyton? _Oh god, Peyton._ Without a backwards glance, Lucas ran into the school after his brother.

Lucas and Nathan said goodbye to each other at the end of the hallway and went in opposite directions. Haley was supposed to be tutoring this morning so Nathan headed towards the tutor centre and Luke went towards Peyton's locker. The hallway was full of dropped bags and books and even though Luke nearly tripped over one he barely even noticed. There was a trail of blood. And it started near Peyton's locker. Panic gripped him instantly. There was so much blood. _Hang in there Peyton_, he thought. Lucas followed the blood trail to the library. He took a deep breath then opened the door as quietly as he could.

Lucas had a baseball bat in his hand, but it fell to the library floor with a soft _thunk_ when he saw her. There was so much blood he felt sick. It was trickling out of her leg nonstop and with a gut wrenching comprehension, Lucas realized she had been shot. Lucas stood paralyzed with shock for a moment. He was out of her range of vision but as her saw her sitting there, crying silently, he realized that he was in love with Peyton Sawyer, and he would do anything in his power get her out of here. He took a step forward and Peyton let out a surprised, petrified moan as she saw him. When she realized it was him she seemed to start crying even more. Lucas hurried towards her and tried to comfort her in any way possible. "Peyton it's me, I'm here. Don't cry it's going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"  
"No Luke, I can't... I can't move I tried" he could barely understand her because she was crying so much. "There's glass in my leg, I can't move it!"  
"Okay I'm going to get help then alright?"  
"No, Luke please don't leave me alone!" Peyton exclaimed in panic. Lucas saw the fear in her eyes. He had to get her out of here, but how? Was it safe? He didn't know what to do. Why did she have to be bleeding so much? Lucas took off his shirt and carefully tied it above her wound. The pressure would help. But not for long. He then settled down next to Peyton, who was quickly losing energy. It was quiet for a couple minutes until:

"Luke it was your friend. The one from the video. He was the one with the gun" Peyton gasped out. "But he didn't look evil, or angry. He just looked …scared."  
Jimmy. Lucas could hardly believe it. He'd known Jimmy for nearly all his life. They'd spent countless hours together at the river court. This was just too much to wrap his head around. He thought of his friend, of all the times he had run commentary on his and Skills' basketball games at the river court. Then he looked at Peyton, with the life ebbing out of her steadily. Could Jimmy have done this to her? Luke didn't believe it. He couldn't.

Peyton was losing blood and energy fast. They'd been sitting for about 10 minutes in silence when he heard her talk again, this time her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"It's not glass, in my leg, is it?" Peyton said, looking up at him, straight into his eyes.

Lucas didn't know what to say. Finally he decided to tell her the truth. Peyton was the kind of girl that would appreciate that. "No, it's a bullet. But listen to me, Peyton. I'm going to get you out of here no matter what, okay? I promise."

The look on her face intensified. "You're always saving me." She said with a half smile.

"Somebody's got to."

She looked at him for a moment before saying "Luke if I tell you I love you right now will you hold it against me?" Lucas didn't know what to make of it. Peyton was losing blood fast he reminded himself. This was the bullet talking. Before he knew it she planted a light kiss on his lips

"Just in case you can't keep your promise." She said and then rested her head against his shoulder.

Lucas looked at her curly blonde head for a moment; everything inside of him was a turmoil. He didn't know what to think anymore, about anything. But at that moment, Lucas made a decision. He was getting her out of here, he decided firmly. They couldn't afford to wait any longer. "Peyton?" he whispered, but there was no reply. She was unconscious. Lucas felt like he was going to throw up. _Please don't let anything happen to her_ he prayed.

Lucas picked Peyton up as gently as he could and quietly carried her to the entrance of the library. He paused for a moment. For all he knew Jimmy could still be out there. Lucas looked down at Peyton and sighed. He had to believe Jimmy wouldn't hurt them. He had to. So he silently opened the door with Peyton still in his arms and crept out into the hall. Lucas took a turn into the hallway that led to the nearest exit and what he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. Jimmy was standing there pointing a gun at his Uncle. Keith was saying something to Jimmy in a calm voice, as though to comfort him, but Luke couldn't hear what. As soon as Keith saw him carrying Peyton he broke off what he was saying and just stared at his nephew for a moment before saying "Luke, get her out of here."  
"But Keith..." Lucas started to protest but Keith cut him off. Jimmy chose this moment to turn around and gave Luke a horrified look. Peyton was right, he realized, Jimmy looked scared.  
"Luke I love you. Now go." Something about Keith's expression made Lucas abide. And that was the last time Lucas ever saw his uncle again.

**Please review! :)**

**Also, I need feedback... should i do the whole Dan shot Kieth storyline or leave it altogether?  
**


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